Educational Programs and Free Consultations

See the "It's Your Money" retirement / financial education articles and videos below.

TIAA-CREF and Vanguard sponsor one-on-one counseling sessions free of charge. TIAA-CREF can bring financial education professionals to give departmental presentations at staff meetings. In addition, they have online documentation/presentations that provide valuable information about your investment options and retirement issues.

One-on-One Counseling Sessions

Review or develop a financial plan, discuss investing for long-term goals like retirement, create an investment mix that fits your financial goals, and more.

On-Campus Counseling

TIAA-CREF: Make a 1-hour appointment
On-campus counseling will be available on the following dates in 2008: January 22, 25; February 12, 19, 21; March 12, 14, 21; April 24, 25, 30; May 13, 27, 28; June 10, 25, 26; July 15, 22, 23; September 9, 16, 24; October 14, 28, 29; November 11, 25; December 9, 10.

Vanguard: Make a 30-minute appointment
On-campus counseling will be available on the following dates in 2008: January 29, 30; February 26, 27; March 25, 26; April 29, 30; May 28; June 24, 25; July 29, 30; August 26, 27; September 24, 25; October 28, 29; November 18, 19; December 16.

If you are not available to attend a session during their on-campus visits:

contact TIAA-CREF to set up a visit to their Pittsburgh-Oakland office in the Rand Building (on the corner of Fifth Avenue and South Craig Street). They are available on the following dates:

February 20
March 6
April 3
May 1
June 3
July 10

August 7
September 10
October 2
November 6
December 4

contact Vanguard to talk to a retirement education specialist face-to-face or over the phone.

Online Financial Presentations from Vanguard
Explore the world of investing with It’s Your Money: Make it Work™

Start with a short but informative article and then watch the video!

How Much Do You Need to Live Comfortably In Retirement (full-article, .pdf)
Getting Ready to Retire (video presentation) - Prepare yourself for the day when you stop working. (11:14)

Archived "It's Your Money" Aricles:

The Ups and Downs in the Market Can Work For You (full-article, .pdf)

Don't Let Debt Cloud Your Financial Future (full-article, .pdf)

Choosing Investments for Your Retirement Plan (full-article, .pdf)

Saving Now For a Better Tomorrow (full article, .pdf)

Video Presentations

Check out these entertaining, fast-paced videos from The Vanguard Group to learn more about investing. Presented in the journalistic Q&A style of a financial news show, the It’s Your Money series explains financial ideas, from why it’s important to invest for retirement to how to understand swings in the market. Whether you’ve just begun investing or you’re already an expert, you’ll be able to benefit from these short, lively videos (the numbers in parentheses are the total running time for each video):

Beginner

Saving for Retirement: The Why’s and How’s. Discover why it’s important to join the plan. (8:22)
Where to Invest and Why. Learn the basics of choosing investments. (7:26)
Investment Pitfalls. Find out some common investing mistakes and how to avoid them. (7:55)
Indexing. Determine if an index fund is right for you. (8:15)

Intermediate

Fine-Tuning Your Portfolio. Go beyond basic asset allocation, to sub-asset allocation. (7:54)
Budget and Debt. Find tips for reducing your debt and budgeting for the future. (10:53)
Taking Control of Your Finances. Learn how to achieve financial security. (10:29)
Balanced Funds. Find out how a balanced fund may fit your investment style. (9:13)

Advanced

Staying on Track. Learn how and why to periodically rebalance your portfolio. (7:36)
Getting Ready to Retire. Prepare yourself for the day when you stop working. (11:14)
Understanding Bull and Bear Markets. Better understand the ups and downs of the market. (6:40)
Rules of the Game. Find out how retirement plans and mutual funds are governed. (9:04)

Personal Finance Sites:

The National Center for Financial Education - a nonprofit organization that helps people do a better job of planning for their financial future
Money Magazine Online - the on-line version of the popular investment publication Money Magazine
Social Security Administration - an explanation of the benefits and financing of Social Security. You can also request a Personal Earnings and Benefit Estimate Statement and receive help understanding it.

For more information:

Contact the investment companies
Contact Bea Mitchell, Human Resources Retirement Specialist
Enrolling in Your Carnegie Mellon Retirement Benefits (.pdf) - helpsheet
2007 SRA Limit Notification (.pdf)
Roth 403(b) Announcement (.pdf)